Telephone attachment.



PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. A. s. PERRY. TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.2, 1907: w

with use: WME

"it Nuns]: "'75" cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

' PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT S. PERRY, OF YUKON, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

TE LE PHONE ATTAGHME NT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed March 2, 1907. i l Nil-"360,180.

To all whom it may concern: "1":

Be it known that I, ALBERT S: PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yukon-yin the county of Canadian and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Telephone Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to telephony, and particularly to an improved attachment designed for use upon party lines where several instruments are bridged in the same circuit.

In party lines such as are most commonly in use, in rural districts especially, one of the main disadvantages, in fact a nuisance arising in the service, is due to the fact that subscribers very commonly listen on the linefor no other purpose whatever except to hear conversations whichmay be passing over the line between other parties. In other words, one of the parties of the party line while conversing over the line is frequently interrupted by another party taking down his receiver to listen, this operation placing his transmitter in the battery circuit so that sounds in the room in which the listener is located will go out on the main line, and if the party talking is not interrupted, his conversation is interfered with to a large extent. Furthermore the conversing parties can immediately tell when the party who desires to listen, takes down his receiver, by reason of the objectionable click caused by this action.

There are other disadvantages incident to the operation of party lines as described above and it is the intent of this invention to provide an improved device of the class designed to obviate the objectionable features hereinbefore set forth and such other disadvantages as may exist. V

The present invention therefore consists of a device in the form of an attachment which may bevery advantageously used because it can be applied readily to telephones at present in use without any material modification of the telephone apparatus.

An attachment comprising the present invention is applied to the wall cabinet of the telephone of each party on the party line, connected with the wires of the battery circuit so that said battery circuit is normally open and the battery or batteries dead, it being necessary for the subscriber not only to remove his receiver,

but to manipulate a push rod beforethe battery circuit Figure l is a front elevation of an-ordinary wall telephone, parts bro lfen away to show the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment alone, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectipnal view bringing out clearly the form of the detail parts of the attachment. r.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the practical embodiment of this invention the same is shown applied to the wall cabinet such as is used very commonly in telephone service, said cabinet being designated 1 and being of the usual construction. The circuit wires are connected with the transmitter 2 and receiver 3, in the customarymanner, one

or more batteries 4 being employed for the battery circuit as desired, or found necessary. The receiver 3, is normally suspended from the hook 5, when the telephone is not in use, in the customary manner.

The attachment constituting this invention is mounted upon the cabinet in any substantial way and preferably consists of a plate 6 arranged within the cabinet 1 adjacent to a side of the latter, said plate 6 being provided near one end with a threaded opening into which is screwed a sleeve 7, the latter being threaded at one end for the above purpose and passing through an opening in the side of the cabinet adjacent to which the plate 6 is arranged. The outer extremity of the sleeve 7 is provided with a many-sided enlargement 8 forming a head adapted to be readily engaged by a wrench whereby to rotate the sleeve 7 in securing the latter to the plate 6. Slidably mounted upon the sleeve 7 and passing therethrough is a push rod 9 at the outer end of which is applied a push button 10 and at the inner end of which is formed a catch 11, the latter being preferably integral with the rod 9. The catch 11 of the rod 9 is adapted to engage in a notch 12 formed in the side of an arm 13, which projects laterally from the plate 6', and which is secured to the latter. The arm 13 is of peculiar form, one end thereof extending downwardly and being attached to the plate 6 by fastenings 14, the opposite end of the arm 13 being bent downwardly and thence laterally to form an extension 15 arranged beneath the receiver hook5 described above,

said hook 5 being of the usual lever form. Arranged between the plate 6 and the arm 13 are two contact springs or members 16 and 17, said contact members being insulated from each other, as well as insulated from the parts 6 and 13, by suitable insulating strips 18. The member 17 projects upwardly a greater distance than the member 16 and its upper extremity eni ters the notch 19 in the rod 9. As, the member 17 is a spring plate its normal tension is utilized to normally hold the push rod 9 at the outermost limit of the movement of said rod, and in such a position that the catch 11 is not engaged in the notch 12. In other words not only is the member 17 utilized as a contact to close the battery circuit of the telephone but it is used as a spring cooperating with the rod 9 in the manner above recited. It therefore performs a dual function. The fastenings 14 pass through the elements 6, 13, 16, and 17 securing said parts together but insulated from one another. The lower extremities of the contact members 1617 are formed with hooks 20 with which are engaged, or connected, the circuit wires including the battery or batteries of the telephone.

The operation of the invention will be apparent from a brief description thereof. It will be seen that in the normal positions of the parts of the invention the rod 9 is at the outermost limit of its movement and the upper portions of the members 1617, which are adapted to come into contact with one another when the push button 10 is pressed inwardly, are normally spaced or separated. The battery circuit of the telephone is thus normally opened and the transmitter is dead or non-vibrating, so to speak. The arm 13 furthermore is a spring arm having a normal tendency to move slightly upward and bearing against the innermost end portion of the rod 9 which is provided with a catch 11. When a subscriber desires to talk over the line he takes down the receiver 3 in the customary way, but until he presses the button 10, his transmitter is not in circuit and he cannot talk over the line. Pressure upon the button 10, however, causes the rod 9 to move inwardly, the contact member 17 to be placed in contact with the upper end of the contact member 16, and the catch 11 is engaged in the notch 12 of the arm 13 so that the push rod 9 is locked in such a position that the battery circuit is closed and the transmitter is in the talking circuit and may be used in the customary way. As soon as the subscriber is through talking he hangs his receiver 3 on the hook 5 and this action moves the arm 13 downwardly and disengages the latter from the catch 11 whereupon the spring contact member 17 will force the push rod 9 outwardly into its normal position, separating the contact members 1617 and breaking the battery circuit of the telephone so that the batteries are dead and the transmitter 2 non-vibrating. The life of the battery or batteries will thus be prolonged to a maximum extent as the battery circuit is normally open by reason of the use of the attachment which comprises this invention.

When the subscriber is using the telephone in the manner above set forth, after he has pressed the button 10 and is talking, any other subscriber on the line may take down his receiver and he can hear all conversations that go over the line without interfering in any way with the parties who are talking. Thus the listener though he Has his receiver down, has not thrown his transmitter into the talking circuit and the parties will not be annoyed whatever by sounds, such as the talking of the listener or other sounds in the room in which the listener is located, passing out on the line. Also when parties are talking or using the line they will not be annoyed by other parties examining to see if the line is busy, this being a great disadvantage under the present system. It will be understood that the'attachment constituting this invention may be connected with the wires of the battery circuit between the batteries, or if there is only one battery the attachment can be put in on either side thereof.

The present invention may also be used in connection with generator telephones so far as the principle of use thereof is concerned and it is to be understood that said invention is not limited to the specific, uses hereinbefore described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, and in combination with the wall cabinet of a telephone, the usual re ceiver and transmitter, the receiver hook for supporting the receiver, a push rod mounted in a side of the cabinet, an arm operable by the movement of the receiver hook and adapted to engage with the push rod to hold the latter in a predetermined position, and contact members for the purpose specified, one of said members being operably connected with the push rod for actuation thereby and cooperating with the push rod to hold the latter in a predetermined position.

2. In apparatus of the class described, and in combination with the wall cabinet of a telephone, the usual receiver and transmitter, the receiver hook for supporting the receiver, a push rod mounted in a side of the cabinet, an arm operable by the movement of the receiver hook, normally spaced contact members, one of said members cooperating with the push rod to hold the latter in its normal position, and cooperating means between the push rod and the arm for holding the push rod in such a position that the contact member coiiperating therewith is in contact with the adjacent contact member. I

3. In apparatus of the class described, and in combination with the wall cabinet of a telephone, the usual receiver and transmitter, the receiver hook for supporting the receiver, a push rod mounted in a side of the cabinet, an arm operable by the movement of the receiver hook, contact members included in the battery circuit of the telephone and normally spaced from one another, one of said members comprising a spring element cooperating with the push rod to hold the latter in its normal position, and coiiperating means between the push rod and the arm above mentioned to temporarily lock the push rod in such a position as to cause the contact members to remain in contact and close the battery circuit for the purpose speci fied.

4. In apparatus of the class described, and in combination with the wall cabinet of a telephone, the usual receiver and transmitter, the receiver hook for supporting the receiver, a push rod mounted in a side of the cabinet, an arm operable by the movement of the receiver hook, normally spaced contact members, one of said contact members engaging the push rod and holding the latter in its normal position, and means for restraining the push rod after the same has been actuated to effect contact of the spaced contact members, operation of the receiver hook being adapted to restore the push rod to its normal position.

5. An attachment for telephones comprising a sleeve, a push rod mounted therein, an arm for engagement by the receiver hook of a telephone, the push rod having a catch to engage said arm to hold said push rod temporarily out of its normal position, and spring contacts one of which engages the push rod to hold the latter in its normal position so that the contact members are separated from one another.

6. As a new article of manufacture, an attachment for telephones of the type described and comprising a plate, a

sleeve detachably secured to said plate, a push rod slidably mounted upon, and passing through said sleeve, and having a catch at its inner end, normally spaced contact members, one of said contact members engaging the push rod to hold the latter in its normal position, an arm arranged adjacent to said push rod and designed to cooperate with a receiver hook, said arm having a notch to be engaged by the catch of the push rod when the latter is pressed inwardly, whereby the push rod and arm will be 10 temporarily locked together to effect contact of the contact members, I astenings securing the arm, plate, and contact members together, and insulating strips interposed between the arm, plate, and contact members.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT S. PERRY. [L. 8.]

Witnesses .T E. Smnonrm, Com ARTE. 

